no title

Trove of video games at police auction could make holiday gifts

Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoBrooke LaValley | DispatchColumbus Police Sgt. Jason Grunkemeyer shows some of the DVDs and video games — forfeited in a stolen-property case — that will be auctioned off Saturday morning, along with thousands of other items, at the police property room, 724 E. Woodrow Ave.

More Articles

Procrastinating holiday shoppers, do not despair. The Columbus Division of Police has you covered.

The division’s annual December auction of abandoned, forfeited and unclaimed property will be held on Saturday, and this year, you can avoid the lines at Best Buy and cancel that Amazon order — an entire video store is up for sale.

Typically, the auctions offer tools, old computers, bicycles and other miscellany that has been kept in the property room.

Thanks to a court case, this year’s offerings also will include several Xbox 360s, Playstation 3’s, Wiis and all the games and accessories that a gamer could desire. Nearly all are still shrink-wrapped with the price tags attached.

“Almost anything you can think of that’s not the new games,” said Sgt. Patrick Harrington in the property room. “We have game systems. We have literally thousands of movies. Entire series, box sets of things. It’s just phenomenal.”

The DVDs, games and consoles mostly come from the forfeiture of a Far West Side video store earlier this year.

Owner Lisa Harper was accused of taking DVDs, video games, gift cards and other property worth $7,500 from Meijer and Target in 2009 and 2010, then selling the items in her store.

Harper pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property and was ordered to pay restitution of $2,920, perform 300 hours of community service and was placed on community control for two years.

Forfeited were two trailers worth of items from the store, now boxed and ready for auction.

Police sales can be a boon for thrifters and shoppers, but also raise a good amount of money for the city.

The auctions raised nearly $50,000 in Columbus last year, though that included the auction of vehicles from the impounding lot. Most of the money goes into the city’s general fund; a fourth goes to Crime Stoppers. So far this year, more than $23,000 has been raised.

Also among the items for sale this weekend: two treadmills and two elliptical machines (possibly for shedding those holiday pounds); three still-in-the-box hydraulic chainsaws (and a pallet of bar and chain oil); 10 pairs of Ugg boots; 3,200 blank VHS tapes; and one crutch.

Movie buffs can add a four-film Arnold Schwarzenegger box set to their collection. All six seasons of Sex and theCity are available on DVD, as are several seasons of Seinfeld, the various CSIs and Dallas.

A book called The Romance of Appalachian Hardwood Lumber, first printed in 1940 and signed “With best wishes,” will be auctioned off. It’s in a box that also contains a partially annotated God Calling Journal, presented to someone named Mike for Christmas 2006, and a portable DVD player.

There also are gardening supplies, tons of tools, a water heater, two snowblowers, a box filled with cigarettes and Black and Mild cigars, sleeping bags and more than 150 bicycles.

A few crowbars, bolt cutters and baseball bats (maybe used in the commission of a crime, but officers can’t say) are up for grabs.

Doors will open at the property room, 724 E. Woodrow Ave., at 9 a.m. and the cash-only auction begins at 10 a.m. Harrington said he expects to cap the attendance at about 350.